www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News His Holiness, Pope Tawandros II

On May 10 His Holiness Tawandros II, Coptic Patriarch of Alexandra, will address the faithful at Pope Francis' General Audience in St. Peter's Sq. This is unprecedented. Then, on May 14 Pope Tawandros II will offer a Eucharistic Liturgy at the altar of St John Lateran. It seems that a very endearing closeness is developing between Rome and Alexandria.

Visit Details [aleteia.org]

As there is also a Catholic Coptic Church, it should be pointed out that this thread deals with the visit of His Holiness, Pope Tawandros II of the Orthodox Coptic Church.

As is noted in the link that I posted. Yes, he is the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch.

Interesting that there is a Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria as well.

I hope we will see an end to this duplication some day soon and there will be a truly united One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Orthodox Church community. The noted gesture is a great step.

I gladly await the day that all apostolic Churches are united!

At the same time, we should call to mind the example set by St Maximos the Confessor . . .

All of the Apostolic Churches DID achieve full unity in his lifetime on the basis of a common Christological confession.

St Maximos had a look at that confession and loudly proclaimed that it was . . .heretical!

This was the Monothelite heresy that claimed there was only one Divine Will in Christ. The humble monk Maximos put a real damper on things and for his trouble had his tongue cut out . . .

In the end, the Church rejected that heresy, Maximos was canonized and the various Churches went back to their corners.

Studies into the whole "Monophysite" controversy based on the Oriental Orthodox-Eastern Orthodox dialogue revealed that the Orientals were not "Monophysite" after all and rejected that characterization. Rather they call themselves "Miaphysite" and they have always affirmed their adherence to St Cyril of Alexandria's formula "One Divine Nature of God the Word Incarnate." In fact, trying to discover who in that entire history truly was an adherent of the heresy condemned, and rightfully so, by both the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox churches is very difficult. Eutyches was against saying that Christ was consubstantial with us BUT had no problem accepting that Christ, touching His Humanity, was consubstantial with the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God. In fact, there is a creed that uses that phrase. Yet, "Eutychianism" is another phrase that points to Monophysitism. One could say that Monophysitism was an heresy in search of an heretic . . .

Here in Toronto, we have at least 35 Coptic Churches that have been built and they are all thriving, including a large Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Their fervent piety and devotion to their Church traditions is exemplary and there is so much we can all learn from them! I particularly love their Agpeya, the seven daily Coptic Canonical Hours that they are obliged to recite, nomatter what their state in life. Those hours are unchanging in terms of the prayers that are said or the time in which they are said. They provide many insights into the very beginnings of the Byzantine liturgical tradition and probably others that I'm not aware of.

Put your ecumenism into practice! The site www.agpeya.org [agpeya.org] lays out the Coptic Hours - we can pray them too and share in the Riches of Christ with them!

There are 3 Popes:

Catholic Pope of Rome
Coptic Orthodox Pope
Greek Orthodox Pope of Alexandria

There are 4 Patriarchs of Alexandria:

Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa
Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa.
Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria
Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

They were all present along with other prelates at an ecumenical prayer service in Cairo, Egypt on Aprril 28, 2017.
[img]https://www.oikoumene.org/sites/def...1_364295536256037999_n.jpg?itok=Enqj9xYN[/img]

Today during the meeting of Pope Tawadros II with Pope Francis in Rome, Pope Francis formally including the 21 Coptic Martyrs of Libya into the Roman Catholic Martyrology!!!

Could we ask Griego for a link to an icon of them?

I was joyfully surprised to learn the news yesterday. I contacted the local Coptic Orthodox priest to share the news and he already knew about it and too was happy.

There are several icons and available for purchase at the following links:

Antoun Rezk at Legacy Icons [legacyicons.com]

Nikola Sarić [nikolasaric.de]

Armia Elkatcha at Coptic Icons Gallery [coptic.gallery]

UK Coptic Icons [ukcopticicons.com]

Lovely!

Twenty of those Martyrs were Coptic Christians who died reciting the Jesus Prayer. When they came to the 21st person, he was asked what he believed. He pointed to the twenty lifeless bodies in the sand and said, "I believe what they believed...."

May they intercede for us all!